Running and Hiding
by The Vandal
Summary: In a world thrown into anarchy, a desperate group of survivors try to cling to life, while trying to keep their humanity.
1. Default Chapter

He sat there in the diner. Same as he always had for years, same as he always would for years. He was Zack Ciccirelli. A thirty-one year old Jack of All Trades from Madison, Wisconsin. As long as anyone in that town could rember he had been there, doing whatever odd job he could to eek by on his rent for his small apartment. And as far as he was concerned, that was the way it always would be.

"Hey Zack, how you been lately?" This came from Dolly, the eternally perky waitress. No matter what had happened in their town, she knew about it first, and always had all the detail. It was her who had broken the news about the trucker the police had found. Even before it appeared in the newspapers, she knew.

"I've been pretty good. Lotta jobs been around lately." Zack said, staring into his cup of coffee, looking at his reflection in the sugar and cream sludge. Hair that needed cutting, thin goatee that should be shaved. _"Well, who cares?"_ he thought to himself.

Usually at this hour, the diner would be filled to the brim, but after that trucker had been found, it didn't seem like anyone wanted to come outside anymore.

The diner's cook, Tim, turned on the local news. Anyone could have predicted the story. "_That reporters new." _Zack thought. "_Quite a looker_" She seemed to be over eager to report the story she had been told. "Police as of yet have no leads in the case, however, they suspect that whoever has commited this crime, has likely served time in a mental institution, or has at least gone under some type of therapy." And here came the gruesome details everyone knew. "The trucker, who has been identified as Ty Burrel, on a routine delivery from Michigan, was found parked outside a hospital dead, after apparently bleeding to death from human bite wounds. Police say that much of the man was mangled beyond recognition, and identification was only possible after DNA testing. Police also belive that more then one person is involved."

"This is one fucked up world." Zack said, grimacing at the TV. "I mean, why did they _eat_ him? Couldn't they just, you know, kill him and take his stuff?

"Well, it obviously wasn't a normal guy. trucker probably picked him up, and the guy killed him. Just a sicko. Plent of 'em in the world." This drew murmers of truth throughout the few people inside the diner.

"Police think more then one person ate him though. Why would he let more then one person in his truck?" Zack asked.

"Well, don't ask me." said Tim.

It was only a few minutes after those words had been spoken that a car alarm wen't off, followed by the sounds of broken glass.

"We got ourselves a thief!" Shouted Tim, grabbing the shotgun from under the counter. Most people wondered why he even kept one in such a small town, but with the recent murder, many people looked at it as a smart choice. Tim, Zack, and a few other men from the diner ran outside before the thief could steal anything.

"Hey you!" Shouted Tim, shooting off a shot in the air. "You get away from their right now!"

The person turned around staring in what looked to be dead shock, and ran off into the woods. A man went to run after him, but Tim held him back. "Aint nothin' out there but a whole buncha hunters. That guy won't try anything with them."

(this indicates an amount of time has passed)

The police had arrived on the scene quickly, most likely hoping to catch the murdering cannibal. When a quick search of the woods had turned up nothing, the police took fingerprints from the car and went back to the station.

"Think it was the cannibal guy?" Asked Zack.

"Nah. That guy was just an petty thief. Nothing to worry about."

"I don't know..."

"Come on boy! It aint like he a zombie or nothin!" Tim said in his typical southern drawl.

Zack looked at those woods for a while. He had never had a feeling like this. Something was about to happen.

Officer Matt Berry sat in his chair at the police station. For a hick town sheriff, he sure had been recieving a lot of work lately. A murder and a attempted robbery in the same week. Well, such was his profession. He was now just waiting for the scans on those fingerprints. "Probably the Zegers brother." He said aloud. "Those boys aren't nothing but trouble.

Finally the phone rang. "Officer Matt Barry here."

"Hey Matt." Said the lab tech from the other line. "How old were those print and skin samples you sent me?

"Just a few hours, why?"

"Well... They're dead"

"Well the skin isn't on his body anymore, shouldn't it be dead?

"No, I mean, it's... Rotten. It's been dead for at least a week. Probably more.

"How the hell is that possible?"

"It isn't. Look, I'll run some test and get back to you in the morning, okay?"

"Yeah... Sure. Later.

He hung up the phone and thought for a minute. Week old dead flesh on a hour old crime scene? How was that possible?

He decided to put it off until morning and watch some TV. He was watching a commercial for a new model car, when.

"Please stay tuned for this special news bulletin."


	2. It Spreads

"The National Weather Service has issued warning for the following counties, due to an increase in the number of storms over the Great lakes." Mike turned off the TV. For some reason, when he had heard that report, his heart had jumped into his throat.

"Mike, come to bed, it's late." Said his wife, Cassie. With her long blonde hair and angelic face, she was the light of his life.

"I'll be up in a while. Just wanna stay down here for a while 'k?" He replied. He just felt like he needed some time to think. About what, he didn't know.

"Okay. Don't stay up too late."

"I won't."

In truth, it was about three hours before he finally went to bed. He had just sat there thinking. For some reason, he just couldn't shake the bad feeling he had. He had been at other murder seens before, even some worse then the truckers, but he just couldn't force himself to go to bed. Something was going to change soon. And he knew that the way things were know wouldn't go down without a fight.

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Zack sat in his apartment, overlooking the large parking lot for K-Mart. It wasn't much, but it was his home. As he sat there with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. _Should I call her? I'm sure she'll be fine. Still couldn't hurt to make sure._ He put his cigarette out and walked into the kitchen, picking up the phone. He dialed her number, pushing each button slowly, with thoughts in the back of his mind pulling at him, desperately telling him not too. But it was too late, as he entered the last digit, he could feel his heart beating thunderously in his chest.

"Hello?" She said.

"Hey Lindsey... Whats up?" Zack said._ Gee, try to sound more like a loser_.

"Oh hey Zack! I havn't heard from you in while! How are you?" She said. _She always sounds so happy..._

"I'm good... I just wanted to tell you, um, just make sure to lock your doors tonight okay?"

"Oh... I will, don't worry. Is there anything else you wanted?" She sounded nervous.

"No, no thats it."

"Well okay. Bye." And she hung up

He stood there for a long while with is head still against the phone. _Why do you be such an idiot? She loves you, you love her. Why not dammit!! _The operatior came on and he hung up the phone. He poured his beer down the sink and went to the couch. He had been sleeping there for the last few day. He didn't know why. Just seemed more appropriate. _Well, whatever, nevermind._ He thought, qouting his favortie song.

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"When did you find the body?" Asked Matt, looking at the blanket, where blood what just starting to seep through.

"About an hour ago" said the hunter. "He was wearing a mask, so I didn't see his face. But I saw him... Well, eating the body through the hole in his mask." He rubbed his eyes, as if trying to get the image out of his eyes. "I figured it was him, so I shot him. Right in the chest. Thing was, he didn't go down, looked at me, and then ran off into the woods."

"You didn't chase him?" Matt asked.

"Well, no... I ran back to the hunters lodge, and called you guys. I figure, you know, I shot him, how far could he get?"

Matt looked as though he was in though for a moment. "You're right. He couldn't be far. Shawn!" He called to his deputy.

"Yeah boss?"

"Call everybody in. And get some volunteers. I want them armed. That guy can't be too far, but he might have guns."

"You got it." The deputy said, and ran off.

Matt looked back at the body. It was a girl, no more then fifteen years old. This was a small town, and he knew every person in it. He was sure he knew this girl to, but the body was so mangled it couldn't be identified. He called back to his deputy. "Get the schools attendence records! I want to know who this is." The deputy called back, assuring he would do it.

Matt looked up at the sky through the trees. _How do I tell the family?_

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Zack was once again back at the Diner. But for the first time in years, Dolly wasn't there. instead it was Tim's daughter, a pretty girl who was trying to get into a big college. He had heard she wanted to go to U of M.

"Hey Tim, where is Dolly?"

"Don't know. The police called, and then she went out. She was cryin'."

"Hmmmm. Wonder what happened."

Zack and Tim sat there talking about all of the days mundane topics, not the least of which was that poor trucker, and then the thief. And then the local news came on.

It was that same pretty new girl, the one who seemed over eager with her stories. Now it looked as if she was going to vomit.

"Another murder was reported today, apparently the same killer as the truckers. This victim however, was a young girl. The police have identified her as one, Sarah Partin, daughter of a local waitress. Police say a hunter interrupted the killer during the act, however, he arrived to late to save the girl. Police say the suspect was shot by the hunter, and a large search has been formed. However, no suspect or body has been found at this time. Back to you."

"Oh Christ" Said Tim.

"Jesus..."

"How could somebody do that? She was only a little girl!" Tim shouted.

"Poor Dolly."

No one spoke in the diner after that, and eventually all the customers left. Leaving Tim and his daughter there, trying to think of what to say to Dolly.

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At last, it was dawn. And still, there was no body of the shot murderer. Nothing worth telling. At last Shawn came back. "Anything?"

"No, the smell was just a dead cow. Looked like some kids tipped it. Poor thing drowned in the mud."

"Anything else?"

Shawn shook his head. "Nope"

Suddenly, a whole flurry of shots rang out followed by a few gutterel screams.

"Holy shit!"

"Lets Go!"

Matt, Shawn, and a few of the other volunteers ran of in the direction of the screams. It was not a long distance, but all the brush and mud slowed them down a long time. It took them a full twenty minutes to trace down the men who had screamed.

The clearing had been the site of a massacre. The volunteer walked around the bodies of the dead, giving them little kicks. At least twenty had large bite marks on their bodies.

Matt walked over to a man who appeared to fine. "What the hell opened?"

He looked at him. "These people ran out from the woods, kept biting everybody. We... tried to shoot 'em, but... It didn't work. We had to shoot them in the head."

They didn't go down after being shot? Must have been drugs, he decided. He voiced this opinion, and most of the men agreed with him. Matt called for ambulances to take away the more seriously bitten, and the others went on their way home, assuming the case had been solved.

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Zack was watching TV in his apartment. There was supposed to be a press realease from the chief of police. At last, he came on.

"A few hours ago, I, my deputy and volunteers from the town, encountered what appeared to be a group of cultists. They would not surrender, and attacked my men and I. Unfortuanetly, we were forced to kill them. They seemed to be high, on what at this time is an unknown drug. They are currently in the autopsy room, awaiting toxicology reports. No Police or volunteers were seriously injured during thiis... altercation."

A cult? In a Wisconsin forest? That didn't sit right with Zack. It just seemed so... Not. Not right, not possible, he just didn't know. But one thing was for sure, at least in his mind. It wasn't over.


	3. It Starts

"So how are the volunteers?" Asked Shawn, walking alongside Matt. After finding the cultists as they were being called, many of the bitten had been taken to the hospital in Everett, as they had much larger and well stocked facility. After a day or so, many of the victims had started showing starnge symptoms, that the local doctor couldn't put his finger on. They had been taken to Everett as a precaution.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," He said. "Probably just a side effecr of whatever they were hopped up on." He added"

"Yeah... I guess so." Said Shawn, not at all sounding convinced.

Matt laughed at him. "Don't worry boy. I've been working this town for over ten years, and ain't nothin' gonna change.

At truth, Matt was very uneasy. If the bites had made one person sick, then he wouldn't think that there would be a problem. But all of them? What if they had rabies? He knew that if you were bit by an animal infected with rabies, you would just need painful injections. But he had always assumed that it just killed humans practicaly outright. Well, this was his town, and he would make sure it was safe.

"I'll see you later." Said Shawn, getting into his car, ready to go home for the night.

"Yeah. Talk to you later." With that, Matt climbed into his car ready to go home for the night. His wife had gone to Everett to visit her mother, who had called last night to say that she had become sick, and needed someone to drive her to the hospital. Another lonely night.

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Zack woke up on the coach in his small apartment. His back was sore, and every joint felt as if it was incased in cement. It was better then he had felt in years. After fixing his coffie, he turned on the TV. He had no job planned for today, so he would just stay home and watch the tube. The sight he saw shocked and appaled him.

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Shawn ran into Matts office, his uniform untidy and his hair a mess, holding a fully loaded gun and waving it about like a mad man.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Screamed Matt.

"Turn on the fuckin' TV!" He said.

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Lindsey had just awoken in her small bedroom. After showering, she sat down on her couch and turned on the news.

"Oh my god."

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Zack sat their rooted to his seat. He couldn't believe what he saw. The man operating the camera had recently made it through a police blockade, after the reporter and sound mike operator he had been working with had been dragged down and eatan by a large crowd of rioting people. He had taken of running, and had for the moment seemed to be safe. He was now zooming in on a man clad in black body armor with his knee in the back of another man. The man in the black armor was using his baton to bash in the skull of a man in a business suit. As he was doing this, more people broke through the blockade and tried to tackle the man in black armor. Before he could, uniformed officers shot them down. But they didn't look dead. Instead, they started twitching. The uniformed officers calmly stood over them and shot them both in the head. They stopped twitching.

A man, who looked to be a sheriff, had just started to answer the camera man's questions. Apparently they were intended to be asked by the reporter, but the camera man was the only one with the list.

"I, uh, it looks like your having trouble controlling these rioters. Do you know what instigated the riot?" He asked.

"These aint roiters! They aint human! From what we been told, its a new disease. Makes dead people get back up."

"I understand you've been having trouble killing these people?"

" You gotta shoot 'em in the head, they seem to go down permantly if you shoot 'em in the head." He said. "Then, you gotta burn 'em." He added, pointing to a large pile of burning corpses.

The camera zoomed in a woman in what looked like a jogging suit. She was twitching. The sheriff came back on. "Danni! Danni! Put a few more round into that woman over there!."

The whole morning went like that. More and more screens of police killing the dead, as they had been called. Eventually, the dead had started killing cops. More and more arrived from outlying town, and their had been reports that elements from the army in Fort Pastor would be called in. Eventually the camera man got into a police car, and went back to the studio. After that, they had cut to a press release in Washington, D.C.

They had come into it after it started.

"Are these people alive or dead?"

"We don't know."

"Is it a virus? How is it spread? Is it Airborn?

"Airborn is a possibility. We don't know."

"Has this just been confined to the United States? Are there reports in any other countries?"

"We have word of mass rioting from every continent. Every where from Europe, to Israel. Police are having trouble trying to contain it."

"Is the military being deployed?"

"The National Gaurd on state level. Armed Forces in the most sever areas. We-.

"This is the emergency report system for the greater Wisconsin area. Police are currently in direct confrontation with rioting citizens. All people are warned to say inside and lock their doors. Do not travel on the street. Arm yourselves with whatever possible. Stay off all mains roads. If their is civil disturbance in your area, please move as quickly as possible to a designated safe zone.

The TV then showed a list of all the safe zones in the cities and suburbs of Wisconsin. Zack looked out the window. Everything seemed safe outside.

Zack picked up the phone and dialed Lindsey's number.

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A/N: Hey guys. Sorry to leave you in suspense. I hope you like this story, and if you do, please, PLEASE, read and review.


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